Sucked Into Twilight
by MarvelFangirl97
Summary: While reading your favorite books, you get sucked into Twilight as Bella Swan. You decide that you are going to rewrite this story the way you think it should have been written. AU, Bella/Emmett
1. Preface

Preface

I'd never given much thought to how I would die- although I had plenty of reason to since coming here- but even if I had, I would not have imagined it like this.

I stared without breathing across the clearing, into the eyes of our enemies, and they looked pleasantly back at me.

Surely it was a good way to die, protecting the ones I loved from danger. Noble, even. That ought to count for something.

I knew that if I had never come here this story would be way different. But, terrified as I was, I couldn't bring myself to wish that the switch had never happened. When life offers you a dream so far beyond any of your expectations, it's not reasonable to grieve when it _comes to an end._

Our enemies smiled in a friendly way as they sauntered forward to kill us.

**A/N: Okay so this is the preface for my new story. Please let me know your thoughts on it, but please keep them kind. I get that some may not like it but we need to encourage each other, not put people down. I will try putting a new chapter up every Sunday but I want to see if people are interested before I post chapter one. Please review!**


	2. Chapter 1

1.

I had just sat down with my favorite books, _The Twilight Saga_, by Stephenie Meyer, trying to relax after my long day at school. People could be so frustrating sometimes. My friend Brooke was deciding to act like a spoiled rich brat again and my boyfriend, sorry _ex_-boyfriend, Trent had decided that he liked another girl more than me. My life officially sucked.

I had already read the books about a million times but they always made my day better. It wasn't the story of Bella and Edward though. It was everything else going on, like Emmett's high jinks. I never thought that Emmett was given his proper spotlight or that Rosalie was right for him. She was so obsessed with her beauty, what happened to make her change, and her wish to have children that she never saw how she was hurting him.

I sat and read until my eyes started to droop from sleep. I had just made it to the part where Bella first saw the Cullens in the cafeteria before I was out...

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"Bella, did you hear me? I said that one of the Cullens was looking at you," I hear someone say. I look around confused. _Why is someone calling me Bella?_, I thought. " Bella! Quit looking like a spaz. I mean, I know it's your first day but you like just totally spaced out on me." I turn again and realize the girl talking is Jessica... _Wait! JESSICA? Like Twilight?_

"Sorry, Jess... I got caught up in my thoughts," I quickly apologize. She just huffs and mutters 'whatever' under her breath. Since she said that one of the Cullens was looking at me I decided to chance a look at their table. The first people I notice are Alice and Jasper. They look so cute together! Then I see Rosalie, who totally looks like a complete stuck up snob. Next is Edward. I can see the natural attracttion that Bella had in Meyer's books but once I take a second glance I see that he looks just as snob like as Rosalie. They totally should have gone together. The last person I look at is Emmett, who just so happens to be the one looking at me. He has the cute curly hair and boyish dimples that offset his muscles perfectly. God, he is so dreamy!

As I look at them they stand up and leave the table, throwing away their untouched food. Well, all of them except for Emmett. He waits behind and puts all the food he hasn't ate in the food trading bin right beside the trash can so that other people can take it if they want. He leaves the room just as the bell rings and when it does I decide to go change my schedule in the office. I really don't want to take Biology.

"Ms. Cope, would it be possible to switch out of my 6th hour Biology class? I took the AP course already in Phoenix and I feel like it would be a waste to take the class again," I explain giving her my sweetest smile. She just smiles back at me sweetly before nodding her head.

"Sure, sweetie. What would you like to take and I'll see if we have an opening."

"Hmm... Are there any arts classes open? I would love to do something like that!" She clicks away on her computer until she stops at something and smiles.

"You are in luck, my dear. There is an open spot in drawing class. Is that okay with you?" she asks.

"Yes, 'mam. Thank you," I tell her.

"No problem, sweetie. I'll just call the teacher and let her know about your arrival in her class."

"Thank you again, Ms. Cope," I say, leaving the office. I look on my map of campus and quickly find the art room on it. I make my way there only slightly late according to the bell ringing. I enter the room to find all the eyes on me.

"I'm sorry that I'm late. I was just switched into the class," I tell the teacher, handing her my first day slip to sign.

"It is quite alright, dear. I am Ms. Kennish, your teacher for this class. You may sit beside Mr. Cullen in the back." I look to see Emmett and I can't believe my luck. I make my way to the back and sit my bag down before I take my seat. I turn to Emmett with a wide smile on my face.

"Hi," I greet. " My name is Bella, I just moved here from Phoenix."

"I'm Emmett. Welcome to Forks." He flashes me a big smile showing off his dimples and it makes my heart flutter.

"Nice to meet you, Emmett."

"You too, Bella." By then Ms. Kennish has called for our classes attention so I turn to face the front again. I really do like this class and not just because Emmett is my seat partner. I really like drawing in my universe so I guess I brought it with me to this crazy place where I am in Twilight as Bella. Let's hope I brought my sports ability too. The bell rings and we all leave the room where I find Rosalie hanging off of Emmett like she is staking her claim. It makes me let out a growl that surprises myself. Emmett turns to look at me while Rosalie just glares but I just turn and make my way to the Gym for my last class.

Coach Clapp found me a uniform that I quickly changed into before heading out to sit on the bleachers. We were playing volleyball and I almost squealed because I was really good back home at volleyball. He divided us up into teams and I was with Jessica, Mike, and Lauren. We got ready and they let me serve first as I was the new girl. Holding the ball in my hand I could feel my old groove coming back to me so I set the ball and served it over the net, instantly gaining our side a point as no one could volley it back.

"Way to go, Bella," Mike said to me with a friendly smile, maybe even a little too friendly. I just kinda duck my head, a blush forming on my cheeks at the compliment. Jessica looks a little put out but I can't linger on that thought for long as the ball makes its way toward me and I serve again, but this time they manage to volley back. The rest of class goes by in a blur as we play, my team winning every game. Coach Clapp asks me about joining the team but I let him know that I don't have any interest in it. He looks a little saddened but then asks me to think about it some more. I head back into the locker rooms and change into my normal clothes so I can go to the office and give Mrs. Cope my paper.

"There you are, Isabella. How was your day, sweetie?" she asks with a kind smile.

"It was great. I really liked art class. Thank you for switching my schedule," I tell her. She just smiles at me while taking the slip of paper in my hand and putting her own signature on it before moving to place it in my school file.

"I'm glad that I could help. I'm sure your father didn't think about the advanced courses you took in Phoenix when he signed you up." I laugh at this as I'm sure Charlie didn't think about that at all.

"No, I'm sure he didn't. At least he tried though, that's what matters," I tell her. She looks pleased with my answer and I make my way out the door and into the parking lot so I can head home in my truck.

Today turned out to be a great first day. With my knowledge, I avoided having to sit beside Edward in Biology and then facing him in the office this afternoon which the led book Bella to drive home in tears. Maybe I can make everything right this time around...

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><p><strong>AN: Okay, so that is chapter one of Sucked Into Twilight. What did you think? Is it a crazy story that doesn't need to be finished? Please review and let me know what you think. I want to say thanks to bella14340, FarenenBlitz, and memelovessomeemmett for reviewing. I loved hearing what y'all had to say.**


	3. Chapter 2

**2.**

My second day of school was even better. Because I knew that the wind would bother my sleeping, I took some medicine before bed to help me go to sleep. Also, I made sure to pay attention in Mr. Varner's class so that way when he called on me I had the right answer. Mike was acting a bit clingy so I let him know up front that I didn't like him that way and that he shouldn't waste his time trying to convince me to go out with him. I also told him that if he really wanted to go out with someone to ask Jessica because she really liked him. When he turned and started talking to her during lunch her whole face lit up.

Another good thing is that because I wasn't in Biology with him, Edward stayed at school. Alice gave me a questioning look during lunch as if she knew I knew something, but quickly left with Jasper soon after. The day seemed to pass really fast and I hoped that every other day was the same: good and happy, with nothing to bring me down.

I knew from the books that Charlie couldn't cook, so instead of just cooking for him, I tried to teach him how to. I knew that if I became a vampire like I wanted to then he would have to be able to fend for himself. These cooking lessons became a time for bonding between the two of us, ending with us watching whatever game was on together as we ate the food that we made. I made a stop by the Thriftway on the way home to pick up some more food for the house and thought about what I was going to teach Charlie how to cook tonight.

After unloading all the groceries and putting them away, I made my way upstairs to my room so that I could use my desk for homework. I decided that it would be a good idea to check my email before hand and found three from my mother. The first was okay and asked me how I was but then they became progressively worse as she became worried when I hadn't replied. I still had an hour before when she said she would call Charlie so I quickly hit reply and typed up my message.

_Mom,_

_Calm down. You know how the internet is here with all the rain. Hadn't been able to get a good connection. Also have been settling in with school and everything. I'll try to call you later and fill you in on everything. Love you._

_Bella_

After that was taken care of I took care of my homework, getting it done in about an hour. Charlie wouldn't be home for awhile still so I decided that I would read until he got home. Foregoing book Bella's favorite of _Wuthering Heights _that I still didn't fully understand her obsession with, I picked out my favorite book _Marked_ instead. I absolutely adore the House of Night books and I found its take on vampires to be quite enjoyable. Before being sucked into Twilight I used to wish that I was Zoey.

I lost track of time reading my book when I heard the door slam, signaling that Charlie was home. I carefully marked my place before heading downstairs so we could start cooking.

"Hey, Dad," I greet him with a smile. "Ready to start cooking?" I ask.

"Sure, Bells. Just let me go change out of this uniform real fast. What are we making?"

"I thought we'd go simple: steak and potatoes. You should already know how to do the steak part."  
>"Sounds good." He returns to the kitchen and I pull out the ingredients for the marinade. I show him how to mix it together and we put the steaks in it before placing them in the fridge while we get the potatoes ready. I get some foil and we take the potatoes and dice them up, placing them in the foil with some seasoning so that way we don't just have baked potatoes. I show him how to cover the potatoes so they will cook and we slide them in the oven. Once that is done, he takes the steaks out of the fridge and grills them for me. While he is doing that I make up a salad for each of us so that way he eats a little healthier. Once everything is done, we sit down to the table to eat and I can tell that Charlie is proud that he helped.<p>

"Nice work, Dad," I tell him. He just looks down and blushes, not good at taking compliments. We eat in a comfortable silence and then I clean the dishes so he can get started on watching the game. Once I join him though, he turns down the TV and starts talking to me about school.

"So, how you liking school so far?" he asks, genuine curiosity in his eyes.

"It's pretty great so far. I really like art class. Ms. Kennish says that I'm a natural with a paintbrush. She wants me to think about our class art show and showing some of my pieces."

"That's great, Bells. I'm glad that you are liking it here." After that we watch the rest of the game in silence. It feels natural and I'm happy that I'm going to be able to have a better bond with Charlie than book Bella.

The rest of the week was about the same. I went to school, talked with my friends, came home to do homework, and bonded with Charlie. By Friday, I knew just about everyone's name. In Gym, everyone wanted to be on my team. During lunch, everyone talked about going to La Push in two weeks. I agreed to go and was excited because I knew that this meant meeting Jacob and hearing the stories.

My first weekend in Forks was very uneventful. Charlie worked most of the weekend and went fishing when he wasn't. I decided to stay in and I did laundry, cleaned up the house, and caught up on homework for the next week. I even sent my mom a few emails telling her about how great everything was going. From reading the books, I knew that the town library wasn't any good so I saved myself a trip there. Instead I decided that I would just make a trip in to Seattle for a weekend and go shopping for everything that I needed, like a better cell phone, ipod, laptop, and some books.

In the parking lot on Monday morning everyone greeted me. I smiled at everyone and waved, even if I couldn't remember their name. I didn't want to be a wallflower here. I wanted to be liked. In English, we took a pop quiz over _Wuthering Heights. _It was straightforward, very easy. All in all, I was feeling very comfortable in school, and this pleased me.

When we walked out of class, the air was frosty and swirling with snow. I could hear people shouting excitedly to each other, but the wind bit at my cheeks and nose. Before I knew it, a big, squishy ball of dripping snow hit me in the back of the head. Mike, who was walking with me, and I turned to see who threw it. I had my sneaking suspicion that it was Erik, as he was walking away, back towards us - in the wrong direction for his next class. Mike apparently had the same notion because he quickly scooped up his own handful and threw it at the back of Erik's head. I told him a quick goodbye and got myself inside and out of dodge before a full blown snow ball war broke out.

After Spanish, I walked with Jessica to the cafeteria. Snow balls were flying everywhere and I prayed that I wouldn't get hit. It wasn't that I didn't like snow or even snow ball fights, it was more of the fact that I wasn't prepared for it and incorrectly dressed for said activity. Mike walked into the lunch room with us and talked animatedly with Jessica about the snow. Without thinking about it, Mike reached for her hand, holding it all through the line while we bought food. I smiled at them and shook my head before looking at the Cullen's table out of habit.

They were laughing. Edward, Jasper, and Emmett all had their hair entirely saturated with melting snow. Alice and Rosalie were leaning away as Emmett shook his dripping hair towards them. They were enjoying the snowy day, just like everyone else - only they looked more like a scene from a movie than the rest of us.

But, aside from the laughter and playfulness, there was something different. I knew that it was the fact that they were vampires but I still couldn't pinpoint what exactly set them apart. I examined Emmett the most carefully. His skin was less pale, I decided - flushed from the snow fight maybe - the circles under his eyes much less noticeable than they had been sitting next to him in class every day. But there was something more. I pondered, staring, trying to isolate the change.

"Bella, what are you staring at?" Jessica intruded, her eyes following my stare.

At that precise moment, his eyes flashed over to meet mine. I dropped my head, letting my hair fall to conceal my face. I was sure, though, in the instant our eyes met, that a connection had sparked between us.

"Emmett Cullen is staring at you," Jessica giggled in my ear. "And boy does Rosalie look mad." I just groan and put my head down, knowing that in no way will the Ice Queen ever like me. Especially since I am in love with her supposed mate. I didn't think this through all the way, did I?

For the rest of the lunch hour I very carefully kept my eyes to my own table. After some careful deliberation with myself I decided that I would not stop anything from happening between Emmett and myself but that I would also not force anything to happen either. I would not go out of my way to make him like me, instead I would just be myself. I made my way to art in silence, happy with myself for coming to this decision, while my stomach did little flip-flops at the thought of sitting beside him again. No matter how much I sit beside him, I'm afraid that my stomach will always do that.

Once inside the art room I quickly get out the supplies I will need for the painting that I am working on. I'm already so into my work that I jump when Emmett gets my attention from his seat beside me.

"Hey, Bella," he greets. This isn't a strange occurrence. He always was very friendly to me.

"Hey, Emmett," I reply, continuing on with my work. We are silent for a few minutes before he tries talking to me again.

"Your painting looks really cool," he compliments. I blush at this and whisper a quiet thank you. He just smiles one of his big toothy grins. "It looks a lot better than mine." At this comment I put my brush down and turn to look at his canvas. What I see there is absolutely beautiful. He must be crazy if he thinks mine is better.

"Emmett, no offense, but you're crazy. Your painting is gorgeous. I love the colors that you used and I love the abstractness of it. I don't think I could ever paint something like that," I tell him honestly. He looks at me in disbelief and I swear it seems like he should be blushing.

"Are you sure? Rose says that my paintings are just a bunch of blobs that don't make any sense and that a two year old could do it." I just shake my head and place my hand on his, ignoring the cold temperature that I knew I would feel.

"Em, your painting is amazing. It isn't just some random blobs. That is your emotions poured out on canvas and if anyone says anything differently than they obviously aren't smart enough to see real art when it is in front of them." I look into his eyes and we are having a total moment when the bell rings saying that class is over. He continues to look in my eyes until we hear a throat clearing from the door, making us look to see Rosalie herself standing there. Great. Now she is really going to hate me. Emmett quickly cleans up and leaves with her, but not before turning to me and giving me a smile. I give him a smile of my own in return and offer him a slight wave. Rosalie just glares at me during the whole interaction.

I make my way into the gym and see that we have switched from small games of volleyball to one big class wide game with half the class on each team. I was captain and got to build my team, which I was excited to do as I had played with just about everyone in the room and knew who were the best. My team and I dominated like I knew we would, even if I wasn't paying as much attention as I should have.

I made it out to my truck once the final bell rang, and it was misting outside. I wasn't very happy with that as it made my hair damp and frizzy so as soon as I could I turned on the heater in my car, hoping to dry my hair. I looked around to make sure it was clear and spotted two figures beside a jeep three cars down from me. It was Emmett and Rosalie, and they appeared to be in a pretty big argument. I decided that I would be better off away from here and in my haste almost hit a tiny Toyota Corolla that my truck would have killed. Luckily I slammed on my breaks. When I looked to check the parking lot again however, Emmett's eyes met mine and that connection was back again. Then I turned to see Rosalie glaring at me. I pulled out of the lot as quickly as I could, but I had to pass right beside them.

When I did I swear I heard a growl.

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><p><strong>AN: Okay, so that is chapter two. We are starting to see that maybe everything isn't perfect in the little world of Emmett and Rosalie like we thought. Please tell me your thoughts and review.**

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed on Chapter 1: kitten1801, Aussiefan1, firebreather21, jessa76, FarenenBlitz, decadenceofmysoul, and scoobycandy! I loved hearing from all of you.**


	4. Chapter 3

3.

When I opened my eyes in the morning, something was different.

I jumped up to look outside and couldn't keep the smile off my face. There was snow everywhere! But then I remembered what happened today in the books. I was not going to be in that situation where I would have to go the hospital. I just wouldn't let it happen.

I was excited to get to school and see Emmett, no matter how much Rosalie may hate me, glare at me, or growl at me like she did yesterday afternoon. I made my way down the walk carefully because even if I wasn't as clumsy as book Bella, I could still fall on my face when it came to icy patches. That happened to everyone. I saw the snow chains on my truck tires and made a mental note to thank Charlie for them when he got home tonight. They are a life saver in this truck.

I made my way to school and parked much closer to the actual building then I normally had been. Also instead of just getting out my door, I slid over to the passenger side and got out that way, right next to the wall of a building. Suddenly, I heard the high-pitched screeching sound that I knew was Tyler's van. Only this time it was set to hit Edward's Volvo.

Everyone's face was frozen in shock as the van collided with the tiny car that the Cullens had been at only moments before. If Edward could cry I knew that he would be as that car was pride and joy.

It was absolutely silent for one second before the yelling began. Rosalie Hale was standing there yelling at Tyler for not watching what he was doing and hitting Edward's car, while Tyler sat helplessly in his van with a cut on his forehead. I decided that I had to save him from her and so I made my way over to where they were standing.

"Excuse me!" I yell, getting her attention. "What do you think you are doing yelling at him for an _accident_! I mean, seriously, he couldn't help the fact that there is ice on the lot. And in case you haven't noticed, Miss Bitchy, he needs medical attention as he has a cut on his forehead. How self-centered can you be?" After that everyone just looks at me shocked as I make my way towards Tyler's van.

"Come on , Ty. Let's get you to the nurse," I tell him, assisting him from the car. I notice someone walk up beside me and see that it is Emmett. He helps me remove Tyler from the van and we help him inside to the nurse. As soon as she sees him, she calls my dad so that he can get a report of the accident as well as calling an ambulance as he needs to go to the hospital in case of head trauma. Emmett and I wait in there with him so that way he isn't alone.

"Thanks for helping me, Bella. That was really nice of you," Tyler says.

"It was the least I could do. I mean, there was no reason for her to yell at you. It wasn't your fault," I tell him.

"She's right, Tyler. Rosalie was way out of line. She didn't have to take out her bad mood on you. I'm sorry about that," Emmett apologizes.

"It's cool, man. You don't need to apologize for her," Tyler protests.

"I feel like I should. Are you sure you're going to be okay?" I'm happy that Emmett is seeming to come out of his shell. He really intimidates people but he is letting Tyler see the softer more caring side that I knew he had.

"Yeah, man, I'll be fine. No worries. Thanks again, for helping me get in here guys."  
>"You're welcome, Tyler. I hope you get to feeling better." With that, Emmett and I leave the nurse's office and make our way towards our first periods. Emmett stops me before I can go in mine so he can talk to me.<p>

"Bella, that was really nice how you stood up against Rosalie for Tyler. She was way out of line and I should have stopped her. You're a really caring person."

"Thanks, Em. But, really it isn't your fault. I think everyone was just a little shocked that the wreck even happened. I'm sure Edward will be highly upset over his car."

"You don't even know the half of it. I'm sure he'll throw a little fit til Carlisle let's him buy a new one though. He is a spoiled brat." I laugh at that and Emmett joins me. His laugh is so deep and contagious I can't help but smile.

"Okay, well I have to go to class, but I will see you later, okay," he tells me. I just smile and nod my head. He smiles at me and walks off and I wait for him to get out of sight before I head into English, handing the teacher a note from the nurse so she knows that I was in there helping Tyler and that is why I was late.

I make it through my classes and into lunch relatively easy, a few people congratulating me for standing up to the Ice Queen like I did. Lauren thanks me for helping out Tyler and I just let her know that that is what friends did. She doesn't seem jealous like in the books or like she hates me, so I guess book Bella was really just that annoying. When I look towards the Cullen's table I see that Edward and Rosalie are gone. I guess they couldn't handle being here anymore. Emmett seems to be in a pretty big conversation with Alice and Jasper though.

As if her knows I'm watching them, Emmett's eyes turn to meet mine and I get lost in that connection again. I'm pretty positive that we are mates based on what I learned from the books, but what does that mean for Rosalie? Has she been lying to him this whole time? It seems odd but when I go to turn my head I see Alice wink at me as if she knows my secret. I wouldn't put it past her so I just pretend like it didn't happen and go on eating my lunch.

I get into the art room and start working on my painting again. Emmett and I work beside each other, not really getting into a deep conversation but talking the whole class none the less. When class is over, he helps me clean up and then walks me towards the gym. I assume that this is only because Rosalie isn't here and he has more freedom. I wish he would do this every day.

I make it through gym and drive home, ready for the next day so I can see Emmett again. I continue with my afternoon routine of homework, emailing mom, and then teaching Charlie how to cook when he gets home. Instead of watching the game, though, I decided to go to bed early.

That was the first night I dreamt of Emmett Cullen.

(EMMETT'S POV)

"Something strange is going to happen today," Alice says ominously. I just laugh at her and continue on to my jeep ready to get to school. Alice and Jasper hop in with me and Rosalie rides with Edward in his Volvo.

"Em, when we get to school, don't park right beside Edward. Park closer to the school, okay. I have a feeling that is what you need to do." I just nod my head and do as Alice says because I know better than to go against her feelings. We make it there in record time and then we go to meet Edward and Rosalie at his car. While we stand there, I see Bella pull in in her old truck and park right next to the door. We start making our way to the school when I see her scoot towards the passenger door to get out. Is her door messed up?

As soon as she exits the door, a high-pitched screeching noise sounds as Tyler Crowley's van hits a patch of ice on the parking lot and skids straight into the Volvo, crushing it. That is what Alice saw. Is that the something strange? Alice just shakes her head no at me and I know something else is going to happen.

Out of the corner of my eye I see Rosalie start yelling at Tyler and I really can't believe her attitude, but what shocks me even more is when Bella comes over and starts going off on her in return. Miss Bitchy? Bella goes to help Tyler from the van and I make my way over to help her, Alice smiling like a maniac and Rose growling angrily. I don't really care at this point what Rose thinks.

We sit with Tyler for awhile in the nurse's office and I realize just how truly caring my Bella is. Wait, _my _Bella? When did I start thinking of her that way? I try to push that thought away for now and walk her to her first period English class. I sit through my classes totally uninterested and then Alice decides that we need to talk during lunch so I can't talk to Bella.

"So, did you finally realize it?" she asks.

"Realize what, pixie?" I ask her, purposely using that nickname to piss her off.

"Realize that you have feelings for Bella of course! She is perfect for you!" Alice is smiling widely and you can feel the happy energy radiating off her. Or maybe that's Jasper.

"And? What does that mean for me? I thought Rosalie was my mate?"

"What if she isn't though? What if Bella is your mate?" Her question really makes me start to wonder about what she and others have said about their mating bond. I thought that what I had with Rosalie was it, but now that I've met Bella, I'm starting to have my doubts. At that moment I feel like someone is watching me so I turn my head, meeting Bella's eyes and getting lost in them as I feel a connection between us.

"See, Em. You guys have totally got a connection going on!" she squeals in happiness. I can't help but shake my head at her. Then I get to thinking.

If what Alice said is true, why has Rose been lying to me and saying I was her mate?

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><p><strong>AN: And that is chapter three. I felt like it wasn't long enough and that is why there is a little insight into Em's POV. Do you like it? Please review.**

**Thanks to scoobycandy, FarenenBlitz, and jessa76 for the reviews last chapter!**


	5. Chapter 4

4.

In my dream it was very dark, and what dim light there was seemed to be radiating from Emmett's skin. I couldn't see his face, just his back as he walked away from me, leaving me in the darkness. No matter how fast I ran, I couldn't catch up to him; no matter how loud I called, he never turned. Toubled, I woke in in the middle of the night and couldn't sleep again for what seemed like a very long time. After that, he was in my dreams nearly every night, but always in the periphery,never within reach.

The month that followed the accident was interesting to say the least.

I found myself the center of attention for the rest of that week. Tyler tried making it up to me for standing up for me, following me around until I finally had enough and told him to just leave me alone. He seemed to understand but still tended to walk with me inbetween classes. This was at the chagrin of Mike and Eric, both of which seemed to glare at more often. However, I don't know if it was because of the fact that he was hung up on me or that their friend could not seem to get a clue...

No one seemed to care about Edward's car, though that didn't really surprise me- many of our classmates could not believe that Dr. Cullen had gotten him such an expensive car. Instead, everyone was talking about Rosalie, or at least how I chewed her out.

Rosalie, however, was not being hounded by people for her opinion of the conforntation. People avoided her like normal. The Cullens and the Hales sat at the same table as always, not eating, talking only among themselves. All of them, except Edward and Rosalie, glanced at me occasionally, and I began to question why.

When Emmett sat next to me in class, he seemed as friendly as ever but I could see that their was something weighing heavily on his mind.

"Hey, Em," I say, trying to lighten the mood.

He looked my way and nodded his head quietly but did not reply with his normal gusto. Day by day he seemed more and more withdrawn and I was starting to worry that he was going to be unfriendly for the rest of the year. It was starting to make me miserable. The dreams continued.

As I worried about Emmett, the tenor of my e-mails alerted Renee to the fact that something was going on. I tried my best to lie, but she must have a sixth sense for that sort of thing. I tried playing it off as the weather getting me down, but I don't think that she belived me.

The ran washed away the snow and continued for weeks. It poured and poured and I wondered if we would still be able to go to La Push. Mike was still hopeful about it so I tried to keep my hopes up.

The first Tuesday of March, Jessica reminded me of the girl's choice spring dance in two weeks. She, of course, was asking Mike as they were now officially a couple and you could tell by the look on her face that she couldn't be happier.

"So, who are you going to ask, Bella?" she asked, looking at me excitedly.

"I don't think I'm going to go," I told her. Although I loved to dance, the one person I wanted to ask seemed to be drawing away from me every day.

"It will be really fun." Her attempt to persuade me did not work, but did result in a half-hearted smile as I just shook my head no.

"Have fun with Mike," I encouraged.

The next day in the lunch line, I tried not to be acutely aware to the fact that Emmett was in line behind me.

"Bella, Jessica told me you aren't going to the girl's choice dance. Why not? It would be fun," Mike assures me. I just look at him, trying to give him a _Can we talk about this later? _look, but probably not succeeding as he just keeps looking at me as if he is waiting for an answer.

"Mike, I'm just not going, okay? I don't see the point in going when I don't have anyone to go with. I'm going to Seattle that day anyways." He looks like he wants to argue more but I shut him up with a sharp glare in his direction. Instead of talking he just turns toward Jessica, sliding his hand into hers as they walk towards our table.

In art it looks like Emmett wants to say something to me, but keeps stopping himself. I have almost given up hope because the bell is about to ring when he puts his hand on my wrist as I am cleaning up my tools.

"Bella?" I hadn't realized how much I missed his voice until that moment. I couldn't help but look up at his face, getting lost in his eyes instantly. No matter how much time went by, we still had that connection.

"Yeah, Emmett?" I ask. I really hope he will just talk to me. He just looks into my face for a long while before he gets startled by the ringing bell, signaling the end of class.

"Never mind," he says, quickly leaving the room and meeting Alice and Jasper in the hallway like he has been since Rosalie came back. I wonder why he has been closer to them but he won't talk to me, so I don't ask.

I make my way into Gym and we start playing basketball. I take all of my stress out about the situation with Emmett in the game, so my team absolutely creams the competition.

I left quickly when the bell rang, just ready to go home and be done with the day. I make my way to my truck only to see Eric in my way.

"Hey, Eric," I greet him.

"Hi, Bella."

"What's up?" I ask as I unlock the door on the truck. I know what is coming next and I really just want to ignore it, but I know it has to happen so it can be over with.

"Uh, I was just wondering if you would mayber go to the spring dance? With me?"

"I thought it was 'girl's choice'?" I question, teasingly.

"Well, yeah..." he says, starting to blush.

"Eric, thanks for asking, I'm sure Jess and Mike put you up to it, but I'm going to be in Seattle that day. I don't want to go to the dance and I thought it would be a good day to go get some things that I need."

"Okay, Bella. Next time?"

"Maybe," I tell him, climbing in the cab. He smiles warmly at me before walking off. I am about to close my door when I hear what I think is another growl.

Emmett is standing by his jeep, a few cars down from me. He didn't seem too happy about the exchange but he didn't really have any right to be mad. It is his fault that he doesn't know what's going on with me. That stubborn boy is just going to try shutting me out. Well, I'll show him. I revved the engine deafeningly and reverse out of my spot, pulling out of the lot in no time flat.

When I got home, I decided that Charlie was going to learn how to make chicken enchiladas tonight. It was a somewhat long proccess but I know that he loved Mexican food. I did as much prep work as I could before going upstairs to work on my homework until he got home.

While I sat trying to do homework, I kept going over that moment in art in my mind. What was he going to say? Did he feel the connection too? Does he think I'm just some clingy new girl?

Charlie was surprised when he came home, as I was very distracted and we almost messed up the enchiladas. He helped keep me on track though and he admitted to being grateful to me for showing him how to cook one of his favorites.

"Hey, Dad," I started. He turned to me, letting me know that I had his undivided attention. "I'm going to be going to Seattle a week from Saturday. It's the day of the girl's choice dance at school, but I don't want to go so I thought I would go and get some things I've been meaning to get."

"That sounds good, Bells. Just be carefu, okay? That truck probably doesn't get very good gas mileage."

"I will, Dad. Don't worry." He just smiles at me and continues eating the enchiladas. We finish shortly after that and we work on cleaning the dishes together.

The next morning, I find a spot and park pretty close to the building. I gather my things and hop out of the truck, making my way inside the building. I am at my locker getting my things for the day when I feel someone walk up beside me.

"Morning, Bells," Emmett says, shocking the hell out of me. I look at him and I'm sure he can see the shock on my face.

"Hello, Emmett," I say, trying not to let the hurt show on my face. I really don't like him shutting me out.

"Bells, come on. Don't treat me like that. I know I haven't been the best friend to you lately, but don't be so cold." He is pleading with me, but I just couldn't let his behavior go.

"You shut me out, Em. I can't just let that go. I knew something was bothering you but you didn't let me help. I was worried about you." I risk taking a look in his eyes and can see genuine pain in his eyes at hurting me that way.

"I am so sorry about that, Bells. I just had to work through some things. I realized that Rose and I weren't really that great together, so I broke up with her. I've been trying to sort through some things that I thought were the truth until lately. But I swear to you that I've got everything sorted now. I won't shut you out again."

"How can I trust you?" I question.

"How about we go to Seattle together. The day of the dance. I'll drive," he offers.

"How did you know I was going to Seattle?"

"I was behind you when you told Mike, remember? Come on, you know it's a good idea. There is no way your truck could make it there and back." He does make sense and I really have missed spending time with the big goof. God, he's impossible to deny.

"What do you say, Bells? Go to Seattle with me?"

"Okay."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: And here is chapter 4! Hope you all like it. It seemed like I had to rewrite a lot because of there being no wreck and no 'Super Edward to the rescue' and all that jazz. Anywho, how did you guys like that final Bella/ Emmett moment? I felt like that is really how he would have reacted as he is really just a big teddy bear. Please remember to review as reviews are like crack to authors: we need them to function... and write more chapters. It gives us inspiration!**

**Thanks to scoobycandy, FarenenBlitz, and jessa76 for your reviews last chapter! Sorry for not getting messages out to you, but I've had a crazy week. **


	6. Chapter 5

5.

I made my way to English in a daze. I didn't even realize when I first walked in that class had already started.

"Thank you for joining us, Ms. Swan," Mr. Mason said in a disparaging tone.

I flushed and hurried to my seat.

It wasn't till class ended that I realized what was supposed to be happening today in book Bella's storyline. Today was the day they were doing blood typing. How would this play out for me?

Mike and Eric met me at the door and we walked to our next class, Mike filling my ears with mindless chatter over the rain letting up and making the beach trip possible. I just nodded my head. I really was looking forward to the trip, but I couldn't help but wonder what exactly today would be like now.

The rest of the morning passed in a blur. It was difficult to imagine the impact I had had on the storyline so far. I wanted to know what would happen now that I had so irrevocably altered book Bella's life by my intrusion. Also, was Emmett really going to let me back in? I really wanted to believe him, but he had really hurt me. Jessica babbled on and on about her dance plans - Lauren and Angela had asked the other boys and they were all going together- completely unaware of my unattention.

Disappointment flooded through me as my eyes unerringly focused on his table. The other four were there but he was absent. Had he gone home? I followed the still babbling Jessica through the line, crushed. I'd lost my appetite I bought nothing but a bottle of lemonade. I just wanted to go sit down and sulk.

"Emmett Cullen is staring at you again," Jessica said, finally breaking through my abstraction with his name. "I wonder why he's sitting alone today."

My head snapped up. I followed her gaze to see Emmett, smiling his dimpled grin, staring at me from an empty table across the cafeteria from where he normally sat. Once he'd caught my eye, he raised one hand and motioned with his index finger for me to join him. As I stared in disbelief, he winked.

"Does he mean _you_?" Jessica asked with astonishment in her voice.

"Um, we are in art together. Mayber he has a question about our last assignment," I mutter for her benefit. "I better go see what he wants."

I could feel her staring after me as I walked away.

When I reached his table, I stood behind the chair across from him, unsure.

"Why don't you sit with me today," he asked, smiling.

I sat down automatically, watching him with caution. He was still smiling. It was hard to believe that someone so handsome could be so nice. I was afraid that he would realize he didn't like me, even as a friend, or that I would wake up from this thing that is surely an emotion driven dream.

He seemed to be waiting for me to say something.

"This is different," I finally managed.

"Well..." He paused, and then the rest of the words followed in a rush. "I decided that if I really wanted you to trust me, that I needed to prove it to you besides the trip to Seattle."

What he said made sense and I just nodded my head. We sat there in silence for a little bit before his deep chuckle broke the silence.

"What?" I ask.

"I think your friends are angry with me for stealing you." He smiled that dimpled smile and I couldn't help but smile as well.

"They'll survive." I could feel their stares boring into my back.

"I may not give you back, though," he said with a teasing glint in his eyes. I laugh at that, making him smile even more. God, I love his smile.

"So, will you tell me what's been going on now?" I ask, giving him a pleading look.

"It's kinda a long story. There is a lot to explain and talk through. I had to wrap my head around it myself and that is why I pushed you away and I am so sorry for doing that to you, Bells. You have no idea how much that hurt me too," he tells me, looking at me with such sadness in his eyes that I can't help the tears that start to form in my eyes. He gets up from his side of the table and sits down beside me, pullin me into his side with an arm around my shoulder. I inhale his comforting scent and calm myself down.

"Come on, Bells, don't cry on me. It's alright, honey. We're past that now. It's you and me, I swear. I won't shut you out." He is whispering in my ear and I feel so much better. I inhale deeply once more, before rubbing the moisture from my eyes and leaning back from the embrace. I smile up at him and he smiles at me, making everything seem right in my little life.

We sit there making small talk until Emmett realizes that all I have for lunch is the bottle of lemonade. He protests and goes up to the line to get some food for me. He comes back with a whole tray full of food for me and refused to eat any of it until I ate at least three bites. I pick up the sandwich and eat about half of it before he even touches the bag of potato chips that he got. When I made to pay him back with some cash out of my wallet he stopped me and told me that is what he would do if we ate together.

We continue eating until all of the food is gone, and I know that I ate about three-fourths of the tray. I'm glad that he made the sacrifice to eat with me and it really shows me that he cares, even if he doesn't realize that I know. The bell rings pulling me from my thoughts, but as I get my stuff together, Emmett just sits there.

"Em, you better get up. We'll be late for class," I tell him. He just smiles at me, shaking his head.

"What do you say to skipping the rest of the day? I'll tell you what's been going on," he offers. The little stinker knows that I really want to know what he has been thinking. I have to think about it for a while because I really don't want to risk Charlie finding out and grounding me from going to Seattle, but I want to spend that time with Emmett.

"Okay, Em, but give me a moment to have someone cover for me," I tell him. He nods his head in agreement and I make my way over to Angela and she gives me a big smile.

"So... You and Emmett, huh?" she asks me with a smirk. I just blush ducking my head. This makes her laugh and I can't help but laugh with her.

"We're just friends, Ang. But I was wondering if you would cover for me in the next two classes, say I went home sick or whatever. I have some stuff I need to do." She justs nods her head at me, shooing me off with her hand.

"Go, have fun with your boy," she teases me. I laugh about it and make my way over to Emmett where he takes my book bag and books from me, carrying them effortlessly and takes my hand in his, leading me towards the door. When we hit the parking lot I realize that we must be taking his Jeep somewhere and wonder what we are going to do with my truck.

"So, where are we going?" I ask. He justs shakes his head at me and puts my bag and books inside my truck. So I guess that means I don't get to know. I hop into the passenger seat of the Jeep while he makes his way to the passenger seat and starts the car. He pulls us out of the parking lot and we make our way out of the parking lot but I don't know where we are headed. We sit in the car in a comfortable silent, my hand in his as we drive along listening to the pop station on the radio. I love that I can sit with him in silence and not have to worry with filling it up with idle chatter.

We have been driving for about thirty minutes before he pulls to a stop at the end of the road. We are way out in the woods and I cannot believe that he wants to go on a hike in the woods. Or so it seems.

"Em, what are we doing?" I ask, looking at him skeptically. He just shakes his head no and goes around to my side to open my door for me. He takes my hand and helps me slide out of my seat before leading me over to the trail head. I laugh at his antics, but follow him anyways as I know this is his way to tell me everything.

We were walking for about fifteen minutes before he pulled us to a stop at the edge of a beautiful clearing. It was even more beautiful than book Bella and Edward's meadow. There were blooming flowers everywhere but it also had a wooden swing built in the middle uderneath a wooden shelter. Emmett must have built it as I knew we were off the main path and not that many people were likely to come this way.

"Well, this is my little safe haven away from the house. Do you like it?" he asks me. I can't utter a word, all I can do is nod my head and look at everything, mouth gaping. I make my way to the swing and sit down on it, loving the carvings in the woodwork itself. He must have spent hours on it.

"This is beautiful, Em. Absolutely breathtaking. I love it!" He smiles at me as he makes his way to sit beside me. He take smy hand in his once more and I squeeze gently letting him know that I am ready to hear what he has to say.

"Let's see. So to start with, when you moved here it really got me thinking. I mean, you just completely snowballed me. You are so different from the other girls and I connected with you on such a deep level. I liked you instantly, couldn't stop thinking about you really. But I was with Rosalie, and I always thought that we were meant to be together." He stopped and took a breath before resuming his story. "But then, the accident happened and Rosalie's attitude really hit a new level. When you stopped her bitch-fit it really proved to me just how great you were. Alice talked to me and I realized that what I always believed was a lie. You were perfect for me. By the time I worked it all out and broken up with Rose, I had pushed you away and I could see how much it hurt you. It hurt me to see you like that and I did not want to ever see you hurt like that again. Which led to our talk to this morning. I wanted to make it up to you."

I let all that he said settle in and it made sense. Rosalie and Emmett weren't mates. But does that mean that I am? Is that why Alice looked at me knowingly? It would fit. But what does that mean for me? Emmett moves closer to me, taking both of my hands into his as he looks deep into my eyes, breaking my concentration.

"Bella, I really like you. I want to get to know you more and spend time with you. We connect on such a deep level, but I don't want to push you into something you don't want to do. I'm going to take you back to your truck so that you can get home. It is almost time for school to get out." I nod my head and we stand up, making our way back to the Jeep. We drive in silence once more and we make our way back to the school. It had already let out as the parking lot was empty save for my truck. We pulled in beside it and Emmett turns to me to say something else.

"I won't be at school tomorrow. My family and I are going hiking out of town, but I hope that you have fun on your trip to the beach. I want you to think about how you feel for me and tell me when we are in Seattle. I really do like you, Bells, and I hope that we can be more than friends." With that he leans towards me and plants a kiss on my cheek. It lasts longer than just a friendly peck and I can't help the feelings of electricity that spark through my veins.

He pulls back and I have to shake my head to clear it from the fogginess before I slide out of the passenger seat and make my way to my truck. Once I am in the driver's seat and have it started he looks over at me and smiles, waving at me as I pull out of the lot and pulling up behind me.

I smile as I drive all the way home.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So this is chapter 5. I had to rewrite a lot as, like "I" stated, this is the blood typing chapter. The story line from here does seem to change more drastically, especially because of the little conversation that they had on the swing. Please review letting me know what you think about the changes. Is the story still okay?**

**Thanks to firebreather21, FarenenBlitz, Lori, and scoobycandy for your awesome reviews! Especially you, firebreather21! You absolutely made my day with your amazing compliment. I'm happy you like the story so much!**


	7. Chapter 6

6.

As I sat in my room, trying to concentrate on the third act of _Macbeth_, I was really attempting to process what Emmett had said.

I wasn't looking forward to Friday, and ir more than lived up to my non-expectations. Jessica tried to find out where I was the day before. Luckily Angela kept my secret, and no one seemed to think that Emmett and I were together. However. Jess still had questions about lunch.

"So what did Emmett Cullen want yesterday?" Jessica asked in Trig.

"To talk about class," I lied, hoping she believed me. "He wanted my opinion on one of his pieces in regards to the student showcase."

"You looked upset," she fished.

"Did I?" I kept my expression blank.

"Yeah, you looked like you were crying and then he hugged you. You know, I've never seem him sit with anyone but his family before. That was weird."

"Weird," I agreed. She seemed disappointed; she sighed and turned towards Mike - I guessed she'd been hoping to hear something more exciting and gossip worthy.

The worst part about Friday though was Emmett's absence. I desperately wanted to see him and tell him how I felt. I missed his warm, dimpled smile and his care-free, child-like attitude. I couldn't stop the gloom that engulfed me as I realized I didn't know how long this "camping trip" was going to be. I didn't know how long it was going to be before I could see him again.

At my usual table, everyone was full of our plans for the next day. Mike was animated again, putting a great deal of trust in the local weatherman who promised sun tomorrow. I'd have to see that before I believed it. But it was warmer today - almost sixty. Maybe the outing wouldn't be completely miserable.

That night at dinner, Charlie seemed enthusiastic about my trip to La Push in the morning. I think he felt guilty for leaving me at home on the weekends but he'd spent too many years building up habits to break them now. Of course, he knew the names of all the kids going, and their parents, and their great-grandparents, too, probably. He seemed to approve. I wondered if he would approve of my plan to ride to Seattle with Emmett Cullen. Should I ask?

I meant to sleep in, but an unusual brightness woke me. I opened my eyes to see a clear yellow light streaming through my window. I couldn't believe it. I hurried to the window to check, and sure enough, there was the sun. It was in the wrong place in the sky, too low, and it didn't seem to be as close as it should be, but it was definitely the sun. Clouds ringed the horizon, but a large patch of blue was visible in the middle. I lingered by the window as long as I could, afraid that if I left the blue would disappear again.

The Newton's Olympic Outiftters store was just north of town. I'd seen the store but I'd never stopped there - not having much need for any supplies required for being outdoors over an extended period of time. In the parking lot I recognized Mike's Suburban and Tyler's Sentra. As I pulled up next to the their vehicles, I could see the group standing around in front of the Suburban. Eric was there, along with two other boys that I had class with, I was fairly sure their names were Ben and Conner. Jess was there, flanked by Angela and Lauren. Three other girls stood with them, I think I remember them from gym.

"You came!" Mike called, delighted. "And I said it would be sunny today, didn't I?"

"I told you I was coming," I reminded him.

"We're just waiting for Lee and Samantha... Unless you invited someone," Mike added.

"No, Emmett is still hiking with his family," I tell. Mike looked bummed at this and I figured he wanted to talk to Emmett.

"Will you ride in my car? It's either that or Lee's mom's minivan."

"Um, well... I was actually just goingto drive my truck. I'm meeting my dad on the Res for dinner at one of our friend's houses." He nods his head in acceptance before turning to talk to Jessica.

Lee brought two extra people, and suddenly every seat was needed. I had Angela and Ben in my truck with me and we had fun on the fifteen mile trip to La Push.

Book Bella had been to the beaches around La Push many times in her youth, during her Forks summers with Charlie. This was my first time though, and it was hard to contain my excitement.

It was breathtaking!

The water was dark gray, even in the sunlight, white-capped and heaving to the gray rocky shore. Islands rose out of the steel harbor waters with sheer cliff sides, reaching to uneven summits, and crowned with austere, soaring firs. The beach had only a thin border of actual sand at the water's edge, after which it grew into millions of large, smooth stones that looked uniformly gray from a distance, but close up were every shade a stone could be: terra-cotta, sea green, lavender, blue gray, dull gold. The tide line was strewn with huge driftwood trees, bleached bone white in the soft waves, some piled together against the edge of the forest fringe, some lying solitary, just out of reach of the waves.

There was a brisk wind coming off the waves, cool and briny. Pelicans floated on the swells while seagulls and a lone eagle wheeled above them. The clouds still circled the sky, threatening to invade at any moment, but for now the sun sone bravely into its halo of blue sky.

We picked our way down to the beach, Mike leading the way to a ring of driftwood los that had obviously been used for parties like ours before. There was a fire circled already in place, filled with black ashes. Eric and Ben gathered broken branches of driftwood from the drier piles against the forest edge, and soon had a teepee-shaped construction built atop the old cinders.

"Have you ever seen a driftwood fire?" Mike asked me. I was sitting on one of the bone-colored benches, the other girls clustered, gossiping excitedly, on either side of me. Mike kneeled by the fire, lighting one of the smaller sticks with a cigarette lighter.

"No," I said as he placed the blazing twig carefully against the teepee.

"You'll like this then - watch the color." He lit another small branch and laid it alongside the first. The flames started to lick quickly up the dry wood.

"It's blue," I said in surprise.

"The salt does it. Pretty isn't it?" He lit one more piece, placed it where the fire hadn't caught yet, and then came to sit between Jessica and I. It made me miss Emmett more, seeing them so cute, sitting beside each other. I watched the strange blue and green flames crackle toward the sky.

After a half hour of chatter, some of the boys wanted to hike to the nearby tidal pools. Most of the girls besides Angela, Jessica, and I decided to stay on the beach. Tyler and Eric stayed with them, and the pro-hiking group left.

The hike wasn't too long, though I hated to lose the sky in the woods. The green light of the forest was strangely at odds with the adolescent laughter, too murky and ominous to be in harmony with the light banter around me. I was careful to watch each step I took, knowing that even with my balance, roots and dead branches could still make me fall. Eventually we broke through the emerald confines of the forest and found the rocky shore again. It was low tide, and a tidal river flowed past us on its way to the sea. Along its pebbled banks, shallow pools that never completly drained were teaming with life.

I was very cautious not to lean too far over the little ocean ponds. The others were fearless, leaping over the rocks, perching precariously on the edge. I found a very stable-looking rock on the fringe of one of the largest pools and sat there cautiously, spellbound by the natural aquarium below me. The bouquets of brilliant anemones undulated ceaselessly in the invisible current, twisted shells scurried about the edges, obscuring the crabs within them, starfish stuck motionless to the rocks and each other, while one small black eel with white racing stripes wove through the bright green weeds, waiting for the sea to return. I was completely absorbed, except for one small part of my mind that wondered if Emmett would like this, and trying to figure out what he would be saying if he were here with me.

Finally the boys were hungry, and I got up stiffly to follow them back. I knew the path a little better so I moved faster this time. Luckily, this allowed me to avoid falling, so no scrapes or grass stains for me.

When we got back to First Beach, the group we had left behind had multiplied. As we got closer we could see the shining, straight black hair and copper skin of the newcomers, teenagers from the reservation come to socialize. The food was already being passed around, and the boys hurried to claim a share while Eric introduced us as we each entered the driftwood circle. Angela and I were the last to arive, and, as Eric said our names, I noticed a younger boy sitting on the stones near the fire glance up at me in interest. It was Jacob Black. I sat down next to Angela, and Mike brought us sandwiches and an array of sodas to choose from, while a boy who looked to be the oldest of the visitors rattled off the names of the seven others with him. I noticed that one of their girls was also named Jessica.

It was relaxing to sit with Angela; she was a restful kind of person to be around - she didn't feeel the need to fill every silence with chatter. She left me free to think undisturbed while we ate. And I was thinking about how disjointedly time seemed to flow in Forks, passing in a blur at times, with single images standing out more clearly than others. And then, at other times, every second was significant, etched in my mind. I knew exactly what caused the difference and it disturbed me, yet I didn't want to change it.

During lunch the clouds started to advance, slinking across the blue sky, darting in front of the sun momentarily, casting long shadows across the beachm and blackening the waves. As they finished eating, people started to drift away in twos and threes. Some walked down to the edge of the waves, trying to skip rocks across the choppy surface. Others were gathering a second expedition to the tide pools. Mike and Jessica headed up to the one shop in the village. Some of the local kids went with them; others went along on the hike. By the time they had all scattered, I was sitting alone on my driftwood log, with Lauren and Tyler occupying themselves by the CD player someone had thought to bring, and three teenagers from the reservation perched around the circle, including Jacob and the oldest boy who acted as spokesperson.

A few minutes after Angela left with the hikers, Jacob sauntered over to take her place by my side. He looked fourteen, maybe fifteen, and had long, glossy black hair pulled back with a rubber band at the nape of his neck. His skin was beautiful, silky and russet-colored; his eyes were dark, set deep above the high planes of his cheekbones. He still had just a hint of childish roundness around his chin. Altogether, a very pretty face. However, he just wasn't Emmett.

"You're Bella Swan," he said.

"And you're Jacob Black," I reply with a smile. He smiles back, big and wide, lighting up his whole face.

"Glad you remember me. Didn't think you would. You were always with Rebecca and Rachel."

"How are they? They've graduated, right?"

"Yeah. Rachel got a scholarship to Washington State. And Becca married a Samoan surfer - she lives in Hawaii actually."

"Wow!" I exclaim in surprise.

"So, how do you like the truck?" he asks, switching topics.

"Well, it runs great and I'm glad that dad bought it, but it runs a little slow. I don't really mind it though as it is just for the next year and a half. I plan on getting a new car for college."

"I totally understand. I was so happy when your dad bought it. Dad wouldn't let me work on my Rabbit because we had a perfectly good car there that ran."

"You're talking about a Volkswagen Rabbit, right?"

"Yeah, a 1986. You wouldn't know where I could get a master cylinder for it, would you?" He laughs and I like the sound of it. He had a pleasant, husky voice.

"Sorry, haven't seen one lately. I'll keep my eyes peeled for you though." He was very easy to talk to. He flashed a brilliant smile my way, and I knew I wanted to try keeping him as a friend.

We are talking for awhile before anyone interupts us.

"Bella, didn't you invite Emmett Cullen to come today?" Tyler asks me.

"You mean Dr. Cullen's son?" the tall older boy asked before I could respond, much to Tyler's chagrin. He was really closer to a man than a boy, and his voice was very deep.

"Yes, do you know them?" I asked condescendingly, turning halfway toward him.

"The Cullen's don't come here," he said in a tone that comes her," he said in a tone that closed the subject, ignoring my question.

Lauren, trying to win back Tyler's attention, asked his opinion on a CD she held. He was distracted.

I stared at the deep-voiced boy, taken aback, but he was looking away toward the dark forest behind us. He'd said that the Cullens didn't come here, but his tone had implied something more - that they weren't allowed; they were prohibited. His manner left a strange impression on me, and I tried to ignore it without success.

Jacob interrupted my meditation. "So is Forks driving you insane yet?"

"Oh, I'd say that's an understatement." I grimaced. He grinned understandingly.

I was still turning over the brief comment on the Cullens, and I had a sudden inspiration I knew I had to ask Jacob about it, although I already knew the stories, or else the story would be altered too much. I was already changing so much, Jacob had to be the person that told me these stories.

"Do you want to walk down the beach with me?" I asked, trying not to come off flirty like book Bella, as I didn't want to deal with Jacob having a crush on me as well. Jacob agreed and I was hoping and praying to whatever deity there may be that he would stay just a friend.

As we walked north across the multihued stones toward the driftwood seawall, the clouds finally closed ranks across the sky, causing the sea to darken and the temperature to drop. I shoved my hands deep into the pockets of my jacket.

"So, who is that older boy? He seemed a little old to be hanging out with us?" I was trying to show my dislike for him, not grouping him with the rest of the crowd.

"That's Sam - he's nineteen," he informed me.

"What was that he was saying about the Cullens?"

"Oh, they're not supposed to come onto the reservation." He looked away, out toward James Island, as he confirmed what I thought I'd heard in Sam's voice.

"Why not?"

He glanced back at me, biting his lip. "Oops. I'm not supposed to say anything about that."

"Oh, I won't tell anyone, I'm just curious." I was hoping that he would trust me, I needed this to work. He looked deep in thought before turning back to me with a raised eyebrow and a smirk.

"Do you like scary stories?" he asked ominously. I laugh at his theatrics, and just nod my head. He strolled to a nearby driftwood tree that had its roots sticking out like the attenuated legs of a huge, pale spider. He perched lightly on one of the twisted roots while I sat beneath him on the body of the tree. He stared down at the rocks, a smile hovering around the edges of his broad lips. I could see he was going to try to make this good. I tried to contain my laughter.

"Do you know any of our old stories, about where we came from - the Quileutes, I mean?" he began.

"Well, I know that one legend claims that your people are descended from wolves, but that's really it."

"Do you know about the _cold ones_?" he asked, his voice dropping lower.

"The cold ones?" I asked, trying to sound dumb.

"Yes. There are stories of the cold ones as old as the wolf legends, and some much more recent. According to legend, my own great-grandfather knew some of them. He was the one who made the treaty that kept them off our land." He rolled his eyes. "He was the tribal elder, like my father. You see, the cold ones are the natural enemies of the wolf - well, not the wolf, really, but the wolves that turn into men, like our ancestors. You would call them werewolves."

"Werewolves have enemies?"

"Only one. The cold ones are traditionally our enemies. But this pack that came to our territory during my great-grandgather's time was different. They didn't hunt the way others of their kind did - they weren't supposed to be dangerous to the tribe. So my great-grandfather made a truce with them. If they would promise to stay off our lands, we wouldn't expose them to the pale-faces." He winked at me.

"If they weren't dangerous, then why...?" I tried to understand.

"There's always a risk for humans to be around the cold ones, even if they're civilized like this this clan was. You never know when they might get a little too hungry to resist." He deliberately worked a thick edge of menace into his tone.

"What do you mean, 'civilized'?"

"They claimed that they didn't hunt humans. They supposedly were somehow able to prey on animals instead."

I tried to keep my voice casual. "So how does it fit in with the Cullens? Are they like the cold ones your great-grandfather met?"

"No." He paused dramatically. "They are the _same_ ones."

He must have thought the expression on my face was fear inspired by his story. He smiled, pleased, and continued.

"There are more of them now, a new female and a new male, but the rest are the same. In my great-grandfather's time they already knew of the leader, Carlisle. He'd been here and gone before _your _people had even arrived." He was fighting a smile.

"And what are they?" I finally asked. "What _are_ the cold ones?"

He smiled darkly.

"Blood drinkers," he replied in a chilling voice. "Your people call them vampires."

I stared out at the rough surf after he answered, not sure what my face was exposing.

"You're a good storyteller," I compliment him, still staring out at the waves.

"I guess I just violated the treaty," he laughs.

"I'll take it to the grave. Don't worry, I won't give you away," I promised.

"Seriously, though, don't say anything to your dad. He was pretty mad at my dad when he heard that some of us weren't going to the hospital since Dr. Cullen started working there."

"I won't, of course not."

"So do you think we're a bunch of superstitious natives or what?" he asked in a playful tone, but with a hint of worry. I still hadn't looked away from the ocean.

I turned and smiled at him as normally as I could. I shook my head no and saw his own smile light up his face once more.

And then the sound of the beach rocks clatterin gagainst each other warned us that someone was approaching. Our heads snapped up at the same time to see Mike and Jessica about fifty yards away, walking towards us.

"There you are, Bella," Mike called in relief, waving his arm over his head.

"Is that your boyfriend?" Jacob asked, alerted by the concern in Mike's voice. I was surprised it was so obvious.

"No, definitely not," I whispered. "He's with Jessica."

Mike had reached us now, Jessica holding his hand. I could see his eyes appraising Jacob, and looking satisfied at his obvious youth.

"Where have you been?" he asked, though the answer was right in front of him.

"Jacob was just telling me some local stories," I volunteered. "It was really interesting." I smiled warmly at Jacob warmly, and he grinned back.

"Well, I just thought that I would let you know that the rest of us were packing up to go home. It looks like it's going to rain soon."

We all looked up at the glowering sky. It certainly did look like rain.

"Okay. Thanks for the warning. Are you guys sure you can fit Ben and Angela in your cars?"

"Yeah, we'll make it work. See you at school?" he asks. I just nod my head and he is off again with Jess back towards the group to leave for Forks.

I turn to Jake once they are gone and smile at him.

"So, want to ride with me and tell me how to get to your house for dinner?" His deep chuckle makes me laugh with him and he starts chasing me up the beach to my truck.

All in all, it was a very good day with friends. But in the back of my mind I couldn't help but think of Emmett, his confession, and what my answer would be.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Yes, I know, I'm a day late! Please forgive me, my wonderful readers! I beg for your forgiveness with all my heart. I didn't actually have this chapter finished until just now and I feel terrible about it. I had a whole week where I could have been writing, but I was snowed in at my cousin's house, not mine, and 30 minutes away from my laptop and copy of the book. Terrible, right?**

**Anyways, I would just like to think my reviewers: Katniss Granger Swan, Emily, Stumpy-Star-Wars-Rebel-girl, FarenenBlitz, firebreather21, and Guest (please, if you put a guest review, add your name), and dorkycorky88. I loved hearing from all of you. **


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